Tag Archives: neil uyetake

Review: G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero – Best of Storm Shadow

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G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero – Best of Storm Shadow

When it comes to conflicted antagonists, it seems as though Marvel may have cornered the market. You can see this in three of their biggest movies. In Black Panther, Erik Killmonger  is nothing what he seems. We find out that he’s T’Challa’s cousin, and by the end of the movie, audiences were as conflicted as he was. In Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,  the Manadarin is a father who longs for his dead wife. It’s a grief that pushes him to unleash an ancient evil. In Thor: Love & Thunder, Gorr The God Butcher, doesn’t kill because of sheer hate, but out of grief, when a God denied him the right to bring his daughter back to life.

Comic book fans will tell you that there’s so many great villains to discover in comics. There is more than a variety of characters that cannot be painted into being a hero or a villain. Take for instance Storm Shadow, from G.I. Joe whose journey in comics is very complex. He was an assassin for Cobra than came to be a soldier for Joe. Just like Snake Eyes, his first true allegiance is to the Arashikage ninja clan. In this collection of stories, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero – Best of Storm Shadow,  we find out just what makes him such a fan favorite.

In “Judgments”, Storm Shadow  is in a moral quandary  where he  disagrees with the rest of COBRA on a prisoner, eventually betraying and helping the prisoner escape. In “The Tenth Letter”, Storm Shadow helps G.I. Joe liberate a Gulag where Snowjob is kept captive. In  the next story, through a diabolical plan  of Copbra Commander, they weaponize the one man who they did not have an answer for, Snake Eyes. In the last story, we get an origin story about Snake Eyes before there was G.I. Joe, as we get a picture of a complex ma, who found it hard to assimilate to infantry life.

Overall, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero – Best of Storm Shadow is a collection that actually highlights two of the best characters in this classic franchise. The stories by Hama are fun. The art by the different creators are gorgeous. Altogether, a collection that will have fans wanting to watch old episodes of the 80s cartoon.

Story: Larry Hama Art: Rod Whigham, Ron Wagner, Agustin Padilla, Andrew Lee Griffith
Ink: Andy Mushynsky, Randy Emberlin Color: George Roussos, Bob Sharen, J. Brown
Letterer: Rich Parker, Joe Rosen, Chris Mowry, Neil Uyetake
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle

Review: G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Saturday Morning Adventures #4

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G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Saturday Morning Adventures #4

Growing up in the 80s, there were two cartoons that I’d set my schedule around, Transformers and G.I. Joe. I remember I’d have to run off the bus to get inside in time to watch and usually would miss a few minutes. In the age of VCRs, this was common. IDW Publishing in recent years has spun out various comics based on those two properties but none have completely captured the fun of the cartoons. G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Saturday Morning Adventures #4 wraps up the miniseries that has captured the look and feel of that classic show in every way.

Written by Erik Burnham, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Saturday Morning Adventures #4 wraps up the rather silly storyline as the Joes and Cobra must battle it out as per the instructions of a Genie. Yes, a real magical genie. The story takes the more fantastical elements of the animated series and has spun it for goofs, laughs, and solid action. Most importantly it feels like an episode we’d have seen 40 years ago.

The story itself takes the goofy feel of the cartoon. The scheme by Cobra has been over the top and of course doom to failure. In other words, the creative team nailed the classic arc of a storyline.

Burnham nails down the dialogue which feels like it’s straight out of the cartoon. You can hear the voices repeat the lines like no time has passed and it’s all playing out on television. There’s that mix of seriousness and cheese the show balanced so perfectly and is on display here. There’s even a lesson at the end!

Dan Schoening‘s art feels like it’s ripped from the animation cells. With color by Luis Antonio and lettering by Neil Uyetake, there’s a level of detail that’s beyond fantastic. Not only do the characters look like they’re straight from the animation you even get moments like a head turn that’s not all that realistic but would regularly show up on the small screen. Uyetake’s lettering too adds to the fun with Cobra Commander’s drawn out “s”, a detail that adds to the experience.

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Saturday Morning Adventures #4 takes me back almost 40 years and made me feel like a kid again. It perfectly captures the classic experience continuing it on with brand-new over the top adventures. It’s been a long time coming and I’m glad this series is here. If anything it left me wanting more and bummed we had to wait so long for this take. This is a must get for fans of the classic cartoon.

Story: Erik Burnham Art: Dan Schoening
Color: Luis Antonio Delgado Letterer: Neil Uyetake
Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comiXology/Kindle – Zeus Comics

Review: Star Trek: Discovery – Adventures in the 32nd Century #3

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Star Trek: Discovery – Adventures in the 32nd Century #3

There are times in your life, where you are the only person people can turn to. In sports, they often glorify this as being born for the situation. I can’t count on my hands how many times I have heard this about the greats like Jordan and LeBron. The truth is  we all have a purpose.

There are situations in life which causes each of us to step up. This is where your life experiences inform your actions. This where the rubber meets the road. In the spotlight miniseries, Star Trek: Discovery – Adventures in the 32nd Century #3, we catch up with Discovery’s own Detmer as she faces a unique threat

We are taken to an ice planet,  where we meet a young Keyla Detmer,  when she only dreamt of being a Starfleet officer AS she plays with the wildlife, she encounters a what looks like her grown up version, in what seems to be a anomaly of quantum physics, where the same person eat different ages meet.  As she soon finds out she suffered a grave inury and this was an out of body experience . By the issue’s end, the two Detmers comfort each other, giving the present one, an  appreciation of the journey and the younger version, hope in her future.  

Overall, Star Trek: Discovery – Adventures in the 32nd Century #3 is a fun deep dive into Detmer. The story by Johnson and Beyer is pleasant. The art by the creative team is spectacular. Altogether, a story that gives a different look into this secondary character.  

Story: Mike Johnson Art: Angel Hernandez
Color: J.D. Mettler Letterer: Neil Uyetake
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

Purchase: comiXology/Kindle

Review: Star Trek: Discovery – Adventures in the 32nd Century #2

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Star Trek: Discovery – Adventures in the 32nd Century #2

I have professed on here how much I love Star Trek. As the franchise usually leans very much into the cerebral  type of science fiction that I have always loved. It was not only philosophical but spiritual on many levels.  Of us better by challenging and questioning our belief systems.

That is why each series was revolutionary, as it showed evolution in thought is possible as long as you are open to it. One of them being Deep Space Nine, which had the first Black Captain and did not actually take place on a ship. it also was  the first time a species changed in the franchise, from the first appearance of the Trill on ST:TNG, it was because of actress, Terry Farrell, that they looked to make the alien race, more palatable. In Star Trek: Discovery – Adventures in the 32nd Century #2 we catch up with  Discovery’s own Trill, Adira, and Gray, and just how their epic story started.

We find Adira and Grey, as they reminisce about life before the “Burn”,  before they get to  the Discovery ,when Adira had a promising Starfleet career, and this new life only gives them doubt. As the two get into some mischief, they run into their superior. Admiral Senna Tal, who also is a Trill, who offers Gray, some life changing news. The find out that he is dying and he has asked Gray to be his host, and life was getting better until a san asteroid destroyed the ship and lefty Adira, physically alone. By the issue’s end, Adira finds their way back to Gray, reuniting their love of a lifetime.

Overall, Star Trek: Discovery – Adventures in the 32nd Century #2 is a beautiful love story in the Star Trek Universe. The story by Johnson and Beyer is enjoyable. The art by the creative team is stunning. Altogether, a fun back story that shows how love endures.  

Story: Mike Johnson and Kirsten Beyer Art: Angel Hernandez
Color: JD Mettler Letterer: Neil Uyetake
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comiXology/Kindle – Zeus Comics

Review: G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Saturday Morning Adventures #1

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G.I. Joe: Real American Hero Saturday Morning Adventures

When I was a kid, I used to look forward to Saturdays. It wasn’t like how it is now, where as a working adult, I am living for the weekend. It was Saturday mornings that I woke up early for every weekend. I had my staples that I watched very week, and G.I. Joe was one of them.

The cartoon gave me my first impression of good and evil.  It provided me with heroes like Lady Jaye and Hawk. It also gave villains like Cobra Commander and Destro.  In the debut issue of G.I. Joe: Real American Hero Saturday Morning Adventures, we find these factions at odds like I used to see every weekend.

We are taken to Cobra temple, where Cobra Commander has gotten his hands on Aladdin’s knowing that every wish is his command, an advantage that he looks to use for his own evil  intent, by using his first wish by creating giant android troopers. We are also taken to The Pit, which is  Gi Joe’s Base of Operations,  where Cobra Commander has deployed one of these robots, to attack GI Joe, but defeat would come swift, as it would prove no match for Joe’s battleground tactics. Of course this doesn’t deter Cobra Commander, as it pushes him to modify the ones he did not deploy and try a different plan. By issue’s end, Cobra puts the world on notice and Joe has invented a plan to stop them.

Overall, G.I. Joe: Real American Hero Saturday Morning Adventures #1 is a definite throwback to the Saturday morning cartoon I grew up loving. The story by Burnham is pure fun. The art by creative team is beautiful. Altogether, a story that proves to be more than your typical trip to nostalgia.

Story: Erik Burnham Art: Dan Schoening
Color: Luis Antonio Delgado Letterer: Neil Uyetake
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comiXology/Kindle – Zeus Comics

Review: Star Trek: Klingons

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Star Trek: Klingons

When it comes to Star Trek, it often capitalizes on its real life military comparisons. We can look at how Gene Roddenberry characterized the Klingons. The immediate comparison that often comes to mind is the United States’ competition with the Soviets going back to the Space Race. Both countries raced to see who would go into to space first, which the Soviets won by a month when Yuri Gagarin completed a single orbit around Earth in April 1961 and was followed by Alan Shepard in May 1961.

Roddenberry portrayed this tension by focusing on what makes each side empathetic. We saw the culmination of this in Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country and the introduction of Worf on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Both projects gave fans, a better understanding of this aspiration race. In IIDW’s Star Trek: Klingons, we get a deep dive into some of this alien race’s legends and what made them so iconic.

In the first story, we are taken through the fable of Khaless, as we witness his sojourn in the wilderness, where he would forge his blade and prove that he is a warrior. As he makes his way onto Three Turn Bridge, a place without honor on all of Klingon, where one may meet their fate soon after. As Khaless enters the palace that sits in between, he meets the fort’s masters who deemed themselves, the only true Warlords and asks him to pledge his loyalty. This leads to a showdown between Khaless and the warriors of Three Turn Bridge, as he easily decimates their ranks. By the issue’s end, Khaless is last man standing, whereby teaching the Klingons that followed, the true meaning of honor.

Overall, Star Trek: Klingons is an exciting prequel story that gives readers the proper insight into why Klingons are who they are in Star Trek. The story by Lannzing and Kelly is astonishing. The art by the creative team is stupendous. Altogether, a story that adds to the mythology of the Star Trek universe.

Story: Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly Art: Timothy Green
Color: DC Alonso Letterer: Neil Uyetake
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comiXology/Kindle

Review: G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Saturday Morning Adventures #1

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G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Saturday Morning Adventures #1

Growing up in the 80s, there were two cartoons that I’d set my schedule around, Transformers and G.I. Joe. I remember I’d have to run off the bus to get inside in time to watch and usually would miss a few minutes. In the age of VCRs, this was common. IDW Publishing in recent years has spun out various comics based on those two properties but none have completely captured the fun of the cartoons. Until now. G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Saturday Morning Adventures #1 nails the feel and look of the original comic in every way.

Written by Erik Burnham, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Saturday Morning Adventures #1 continues the animated series. The comic impressively feels like an episode in every war from the plot to the dialogue to the art. It’s absolutely fantastic and nails it down.

The story itself takes the goofy feel of the cartoon and delivers a new over the top scheme by Cobra. Cobra Commander has captured a genie and is using his wishes in an attempt to extort money from the world’s governments. It feels like the rather extreme and fantastical plots that were some of the fun of the comic series and the demand for $1 billion by Cobra Commander feels almost quaint at this point when the wealthiest person in the world is valued at over $200 billion. How is Cobra going to pay their bills with that little cash!?

Burnham nails down the dialogue which feels like it’s straight out of the cartoon. You can hear the voices repeat the lines like no time has passed and it’s all playing out on television. There’s that mix of seriousness and cheese the show balanced so perfectly and is on display here. There’s even a lesson at the end with classic computer!

Dan Schoening‘s art feels like it’s ripped from the animation cells. With color by Luis Antonio and lettering by Neil Uyetake, there’s a level of detail that’s beyond fantastic. Not only do the characters look like they’re straight from the animation you even get moments like a head turn that’s not all that realistic but would regularly show up on the small screen. Uyetake’s lettering too adds to the fun with Cobra Commander’s drawn out “s”, a detail that adds to the experience.

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Saturday Morning Adventures #1 takes me back the 35ish years and made me feel like a kid again. It perfectly captures the classic experience continuing it on with brand-new over the top adventures. It’s been a long time coming and I’m glad it’s finally here. This is a must get for fans of the classic cartoon.

Story: Erik Burnham Art: Dan Schoening
Color: Luis Antonio Delgado Letterer: Neil Uyetake
Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comiXology/Kindle – Zeus Comics

Review: Star Trek: The Next Generation—Best of Captain Picard

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Star Trek: The Next Generation—Best of Captain Picard

In the most recent episode of Young Sheldon, it exposed one of the open secrets of Star Trek fandom. That there lies a schism between the different generations. Of course, this is nothing new. As this very issue lies within the Star Wars fandom, one which divides them, and is very apparent in the how the fans feel about The Book Of Boba Fett.  

As the scene that expositions this difference, was when Sheldon got into a debate with another fan of whether or not ST:TNG is as good or better than ST:TOS. They had gone over all the reasons why one was better than the other. As a fan of all the series, I can honestly say that love the shows after the original cast, as they broadened that world and made us all fall in love with new characters and worlds. I especially ST:TNG, as it  fulfilled the promise the original series gave the world.. As I am partial to one captain, and with his new series, I can see I am not the only one , as IDW decided to do a collection of past stories in in a beautiful one shot, Star Trek: The Next Generation—Best of Captain Picard.

In “The Q Conflict”, Q creates a conflict between the TOS, TNG, DS9 and Voyager crews. In “The Mirror Broken#1”, we find a very evil version of the crew in the Mirror Universe, one where war is where they thrive. In “ DC Originals:TNG#1-Return to Raimon Part 1”,Picard uncovers a conspiracy to murder a monarch, one that puts the away crew in danger. In the last story“Picard#1”,  we find out about what transpired in Picard’s final year before the events of the first season of Picard.

Overall, Star Trek: The Next Generation—Best of Captain Picard is an excellent collection that shows the character’s transcendence. The stories by the different creators are fun and action packed. The art by the different creators are beautiful. Altogether, this set of stories shows why fans have long loved this character.

Story: Scott & David Tipton, Michael Jan Friedman, Kirsten Beyer, and Mike Johnson
Art: David Messina, Elisabette D’Amico, Alexandra Alexakis, Neil Uyetake, J.K. Woodward, AndWorld Design, Pablo Marcos, Julianna Ferriter, Bob Pinaha, Angel Hernandez, and Joana Lafuente
Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comiXology – Kindle

Review: Transformers/Back to the Future

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Transformers/Back to the Future

As a 80s kid, I feel like I grew up in the heyday of Saturday morning cartoons. There was nothing like waking up at 6:00a.m, those mornings and watching cartoons all the way through lunch. At first, it was only a few cartoons that we would watch and mostly on one channel. As time went on, and the television networks began to compete, figuring out what to watch became more of a burden.

I, of course, have my favorites to this day, one of the most recent ones being revitalized, was the two versions on Netflix, of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.  The other one being Transformers, which has seen it revitalized via movies and its own series on Netflix. As nostalgia is big business and any time fans get to see two franchises cross over, it is often met with excitement. In another crossover from IDW we get Transformers /Back To the Future, where the worlds collide in a completely new adventure.

We are taken to 1985, where Doc Brown has just time traveled to 2015 in his DeLorean, but what make this time different is a pair of Decepticons, Starscream and Ravage, were spying on him, deducing that humans have figured out time travel through quantum physics. Eventually Megatron finds out, and so does the Autobots, thanks to Bumblebee, which changes everything in the future. As Doc Brown’s neighbor and protégé, Marty McFly, awakens the next morning after Doc Brown time traveled, to a world ran by Decepticons.as he finds a way to escape the prisoner camp that his family is in, and finds a new Autobot, Gigawatt, who just so happens to transform to a DeLorean. As Marty adjusts to this new reality, he even finds out that his skateboard is a Transformer named Skilz, and he also finds out how they came into power. As Rumble from the Decepticons followed him to 2015, and proceeded to take over Earth using technology from Cybertron. Eventually, Doc Brown reemerges, looking to liberate Earth from Decepticons, through inspiring others and by chance, runs into Marty and the Autobots with his parents.  It would not be too long before Megatron’s spies come out of the woodwork, and a fight between the Autobots and Decepticons take place on Hill Valley’s town square, one that would reveal a Decepticon hiding in plain sight, The Clock Tower. As the Autobots fight the Clock Tower, Marty and Doc realize they must travel to 1985 to stop the Decepticons form the following them to the future. By Book’s end, Martyy awakens the Autobots before the Decepticons could sabotage them, Biff becomes the Autobots mechanic and everything is right in the world when he goes back to 1985.

Overall, Transformers/Back to the Future is an excellent crossover that will have fans of both franchises cheering them on in this fun escapade to the future. The story by Scott is exciting. The art by the creative team is beautiful. Altogether, one of the better crossover stories IDW have done in a long while.

Story: Cavan Scott Art: Juan Samu
Color: David Garcia Cruz Letterer: Neil Uyetake
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comiXology – Amazon – Kindle – Bookshop

Review: Star Trek: The Mirror War – Data

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Star Trek: The Mirror War - Data

Much like similar franchises, there are certain generations tied to different eras within the Star Trek Universe. As my father’s generation grew up watching the original series and also the movies. Then there’s my generation who grew up watching Star Trek: The Next Generation and the companion series universe that followed, even enjoying the prequel series, Enterprise. As people are drawn to the series for different reasons.

I can honestly say that the original cast’s movies were better done than the ones that followed ST:TNG. That is not to say that TNG’s movies were not all bad, and the one that got me because of the ending was Star Trek: Nemesis. This movie is where Data sacrificed himself for the crew and the ship, something that fans did not really get to reckon with until the 1st season finale of Picard. As most fans including me did not realize how much we loved the character until then, thankfully Celeste Bronfman and Roberta Ingranata gives us this one-shot with our favorite android in Star Trek: The Mirror War – Data.

We find the version of Data in the Mirror Universe onboard the ISS Enterprise-D, where the crew have uncovered a device which could change the fortunes, but some including Barclay feels that it may be a Romulan trap. Data starts to get suspicious of Barclay, who acts inconspicuous, which only stokes Data’s distrust. It is not only until Barclay gets into a simulation on the Holodeck that Data discovers that at the center of Barclay’s unusual behavior, is his entrenched hate for the Klingons and a rival family, who blames his family for the Klingons attacking their town,  thereby starting a blood war. Data convinces Barclay to uncover evidence that the rival family is at the root of it all, leading the two to go back to his home planet. By issue’s end, the duo uncovers the truth, but not all goes as planned, leaving the main perpetrator dead without paying for their original sin.

Overall, Star Trek: The Mirror War – Data is an interesting mystery set in the Mirror Universe. The story by Bronfman is exciting and seething with intrigue. The art by the creative team is gorgeous. Altogether, a story that is fun for Data fans as we see a version of him when logic is at the center of his motivation but of course it works very differently and much more sinister in the Mirror Universe.

Story: Celeste Bronfman Art: Roberta Ingranata, Valentina Pinto, and Neil Uyetake
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comiXology – Kindle

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